A television, movie and stage actress of African American and
Cherokee lineage, Lynn Whitfield first came to fame as a part of the
hit stage production of “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered
Suicide...When the Rainbow Is Enuf” in 1977, but it took nearly
a decade for the talented performer to achieve genuine triumph thanks
to her acting in the CBS TV films “Johnnie Mae Gibson: FBI”
and “The George McKenna Story” (both 1986). She gained
additional attention for her work in the Oprah Winfrey produced
miniseries “The Women of Brewster Place” (1989) and for
starring in the HBO biopic “The Josephine Baker Story”
(1991), which earned her international recognition and an Emmy Award.
She also picked up an Image Award and a Golden Globe nomination for
her work in the film.

Following her massive TV success, however, Whitfield did not
return to the spotlight until she appeared in the movies “Thin
Line Between Love and Hate” (1996), “Sophie & the
Moonhanger” (1996, TV), the Toronto premiered “The Planet
of Junior Brown” (1997, won an Image award) and “Eve's
Bayou” (1997, earned an Image nomination). Subsequent notable
credits include the miniseries “The Wedding” (1998), the
television movies “Dangerous Evidence: The Lori Jackson Story”
(1999), “Love Songs” (1999) and “The Cheetah Girls”
(2003), and the movies “Head of State” (2003) and
“Madea's Family Reunion” (2006). Her portrayal of Barbara
Becnel in the TV film “Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams
Story” (2004) won the actress an Image and Black Reel Award.

Whitfield more recently starred in the films “Kings of the
Evening” (2008), “The Women” (2008), “Mama, I
Want To Sing” (2008) and “Pure Shooter” (2009).

A two time divorcee, Whitfield was married to playwright, director
and actor Van Whitfield from 1974 until the late 1970s. She has a
daughter named Grace with her second husband, director Brian Gibson
whom she married was to from 1990 to 1992. She was briefly involved
with actor Don Johnson in 1976.

Baton Rouge

Childhood and Family:

Lynn Butler-Smith, who would later be popular as Lynn Whitfield,
was born on May 6, 1953, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Her father,
Valerian Smith (born in 1926, died in 1992), was the founder of the
Baton Rouge Playhouse and worked on the musical scores of such movies
as 1957's “Band of Angels” and 1967's “Hurry
Sundown.” Mr. Smith was also a dentist and moonlighted as a
local talent scout. Lynn's mother, Jean Butler, became the president
of the Louisiana Housing Finance Agency in the mid 1990s. The eldest
of four, Lynn has a younger brother named Valerian Butler-Smith II,
and two younger sisters, Kimberleigh Butler-Smith and Shawne
Langston.

In 1974, Lynn received a BFA in drama from Howard University in
Washington, DC. Also that year, she married playwright, director and
actor Van Whitfield, who was also one of the co-founders and pioneers
of the D.C.-based Black Repertory Company, with which Lynn also
performed. The marriage, however, ended in divorce in the late 1970s.
Lynn married director Brian Gibson in 1990 and had a daughter named
Grace Gibson on August 2, 1991. Lynn and her second husband divorced
in 1992.

Eve's Bayou

Career:

Lynn Whitfield studied and acted with the Black Repertory Company
while living in Washington D.C. and after gaining her drama degree
from Howard University, appeared in several off-Broadway productions
in New York City, including “The Great Macdaddy” and
“Showdown.” The future leading lady, however, did not
have her first taste of success until she headed to Los Angeles and
landed a costarring role in the L.A. production of the landmark black
play “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide...When the
Rainbow Is Enuf” (1977), opposite Alfre Woodard.

In 1979, Whitfield launched her movie career under a talent
development program at Columbia Pictures. After having a recurring
role as Jill Thomas in three episodes of the Steven Bochco created
series “Hill Street Blues” (1981) and recreating her
coveted stage role in the PBS TV version of “For Colored Girls
Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow Is Enuf” (1982),
she appeared on the big screen in the supporting role of Thelma
Cleland in the unsuccessful comedy “Doctor Detroit”
(1983), which starred Dan Aykroyd. She resurfaced two years later
with parts in “The Slugger's Wife” and “Silverado,”
which starred Kevin Kline, Scott Glenn, Kevin Costner and Danny
Glover. In between her film projects, Whitfield portrayed recurring
roles in “This is the Life” and “Cagney &
Lacey” before making guest appearances in “Miami Vice,”
Shelley Duvall's “Tall Tales and Legends” and “The
Fall Guy.” In 1986, she starred in “Johnnie Mae Gibson:
FBI,” which was based on the real life story of the first
African-American female secret agent for the FBI. She then held her
own against actor Denzel Washington in the biopic “The George
McKenna Story” and appeared in the ABC miniseries “The
Women of Brewster Place” (1989), adapted from the novel by
Gloria Naylor and executive produced by Oprah Winfrey (also starred
in as Mattie Michael). Whitfield next had supporting roles in the
movies “Jaws: The Revenge,” “Dead Aim” (both
1987) and the ABC medical series “HeartBeat” (1988).

Whitfield scored a huge victory in 1991 when she was cast in the
title role in the HBO biopic “The Josephine Baker Story.”
Under the direction of Brian Gibson, she was handed a 1991 Emmy for
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Special and a 1993
Image for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, Mini-Series or
Television Movie. She was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award in
the category of Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or
Motion Picture Made for TV. Also in 1991, she could be seen playing
the recurring role of TV news anchorwoman Maggie Mayfield on the
prime time series “Equal Justice” (ABC).

After starring as Esther in the CBS miniseries “Stompin' at
the Savoy” (1992) and in a role in the Pauly Shore vehicle “In
the Army Now” (1994), she returned to series TV in the NBC
short lived “The Cosby Mysteries” (1994). Thanks to her
appearances in Martin Lawrence's “Thin Line Between Love and
Hate” (1996) and Christopher Cain's comedy “Gone Fishin'”
(1997), she gained exposure for her starring role in the Lifetime
film “Sophie & the Moonhanger” (1996). She then
costarred in “Eve's Bayou” (1997), a drama film written
and directed by Kasi Lemmons, and earned an Image award as Mrs. Brown
in the Toronto Film Festival screened “The Planet of Junior
Brown” (1997). The following year, she was reunited with Oprah
Winfrey for the Winfrey-executive produced miniseries “The
Wedding” (1998) and took home an Image nomination for
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Television Movie or Mini-Series for her
work in the film. She won a 1998 Image for Outstanding Supporting
Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Dr. Serena Hall in the
series “Touched by an Angel” (1997).

The rest of the decade saw roles in the drama “Stepmom”
(1998), which starred Julia Roberts, Susan Sarandon and Ed Harris,
Lee Rose's “The Color of Courage” (1999, TV), costarring
Linda Hamilton, and “Deep in My Heart” (1999, TV),
opposite Anne Bancroft. She also starred as civil rights activist
Lori Jackson in the based-on-book television movie “Dangerous
Evidence: The Lori Jackson Story” (1999), for which she netted
an Image nomination for Outstanding Actress in a Television
Movie/Miniseries/Dramatic Special, and played Jean Simpson in “Love
Songs” (1999), where she received a Black Reel nomination for
Network/Cable - Best Actress.

In the new millennium, Whitfield took smaller roles in Peter
Gilbert's “A Time for Dancing” (2000) and “A Girl
Thing” (2001, TV) and recurring roles in the David E. Kelley
created “Boston Public” (2001) and the CBS series
“Without a Trace,” where she played Paula Van Doran from
2002 to 2006. She teamed up with Chris Rock and Bernie Mac in the box
office hit comedy “Head of State” (2003), where she was
nominated for a BET Comedy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a
Box Office Movie, portrayed Dorthea Garibaldi in the musical TV film
“The Cheetah Girls” (2003), a role she reprised for the
2006 sequel “The Cheetah Girls 2,” and costarred with
Jamie Foxx in the TV film “Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams
Story” (2004). Her performance in the latter production won an
Image for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or
Dramatic Special and a Black Reel for Best Actress, Network/Cable
Television.

In 2006, Whitfield picked up a Black Movie nomination for her
scene-stealing turn as Victoria in the independent comedy “Madea's
Family Reunion” (2006), which was directed, written by and
starred Tyler Perry. She also portrayed Dr. Page on Lawrence Page's
“Confessions” and appeared as Anita Astin in the pilot
episode of the crime series starring James Woods, “Shark”
(2006).

Recently costarring with Tyson Beckford in the drama “Kings
of the Evening” (2008), Whitfield has completed filming “The
Women” (2008), which was directed and scripted by Diane
English. She was also cast as Ciara's mother, Lillian Winter, in the
musical “Mama, I Want To Sing” (2008) and stars as
Artelia 'Art' Jones in the drama “Pure Shooter” (2009).

Actress Lynn Whitfield stopped by the studio of HLN’s “Weekend Express” yesterday and talked about starring in the new play, “My Brother Marvin,” which is based on the life of the late Motown legend M...